HANAU PONOhttps://hanaupono.com
Thu, 24 May 2018 19:46:55 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://s0.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.pngHANAU PONOhttps://hanaupono.com
Eating for Twohttps://hanaupono.com/2013/12/02/eating-for-two/
https://hanaupono.com/2013/12/02/eating-for-two/#respondMon, 02 Dec 2013 10:03:33 +0000http://hanaupono.com/?p=465Continue reading →]]>What DOES eating for two really look like? When a woman becomes pregnant, often times her relationship to food suddenly changes. Some things she LOVED are so unimaginably nasty, maybe due to smell, preparation, or it simply doesn’t taste as good as it used to. Other times the foods that have always been disliked are the new favorites! Then there is the weird cravings… “Really honey, you want pickles on your peanut butter sandwich?” And of course, the dreaded…”We recommend you only gain 25-35lbs.”

Eating for two means choosing wisely. It does not mean eating double portions or succumbing to every craving. If a woman knows how to interpret her cravings and address them accordingly, then there should be less risk for preventable problems such as gestational diabetes or preeclampsia. . If a woman is eating a clean diet filled with fresh vegetables and a variety of protein, then the amount of weight she gains should not be an issue, and the occasional indulgence won’t become problematic. Thinking about what different foods represent allows a person to understand these sudden desires.

Our bodies need protein to build our babies and iron to build our blood. Red meat contains both! A person with a diet that is not getting enough balanced proteins and iron sources, often crave meat. This is especially true for women who are vegetarian with an O or B blood type. It is a good idea to get a wide variety of proteins and sources of iron into our daily diet. I will talk a little more about iron in a bit, but sticking with the protein track…

Lack of protein also creates a desire for sugar! When our blood sugar drops it wants it fast and it wants it NOW! The fastest way for our bodies to get that is through sweets! It breaks down quickly and transfers to our bloodstream with ease. The trouble with simple sugars (fruit juice and simple starches such as white flours and white rice included) is that it breaks down so quickly, that whatever isn’t used gets stored as fat. Eating protein instead of sugar helps maintain a longer lasting, more stable blood sugar because it takes longer to break down. This means that the sugars from the protein is more likely to get used up by the body, rather than stored away. Excess sugar can also lead to yeast problems. A pregnant woman is much “sweeter” (warm, damp, etc) and it is quite common that a sugary diet can lead to itchy, potently scented discharge, and a burning, red vagina (Ouch!!!). If baby is born vaginally while a mother has a yeast infection, they are more likely to contract thrush, which often disrupts the nursing process due to pain in the mother’s breast and discomfort for the baby’s GI tract.

So, if a body craves sugars its usually a protein thing, but sometimes it’s sweetness in LIFE! Snuggling, cuddling, feeling loved. So if eating an omelette still leaves you wanting Ben & Jerry’s, then try a little tenderness. This doesn’t have to be sexual love, but it does have to be genuine love and/or touch. Massage, hand holding, and spooning, these are great options for adding a little sweetness to life.

Now back to that iron bit… A pregnant woman who is feeling tired, lethargic even, is probably borderline or fully anemic, meaning she needs iron! A pregnant body increases blood volume by about 50%. Sometimes adding more dark leafy greens, cooking in a cast iron skillet, or choosing lean, red meat can help increase your blood building abilities. Adding apple cider vinegar or fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C will make that iron more easily absorbable. It is important not to mix too many calcium rich foods such as cheese or tahini with your iron foods, as these foods make the iron less absorbable.

Calcium is very important for a baby’s bone growth. If a mother is not eating enough calcium then she is more prone to have problems later in life such as weak teeth or osteoporosis. It’s important to remember that a growing baby will take what it needs to be healthy and strong. If a mother doesn’t pay close attention to her diet, then she will pay the price either during her pregnancy or in the weeks, months, and years to follow. Getting calf cramps while sleeping is a sign of a calcium deficiency. Taking a Calcium/Magnesium supplement before bed can often alleviate this unreal sensation that wakes mothers to be in the middle of the night.

Salt cravings can be linked to how a body absorbs water. If a body needs electrolytes to help absorb all the water women are encouraged to drink while pregnant, then the body might crave salt. Table salt can raise your blood pressure, though, so choose to flavor your food with sea salt and do so sparingly. Try to avoid canned or lots of pickled foods because they contain large amounts of table salt. Possible choices to increase a body’s electrolyte absorption are good electrolyte drinks such as Recharge or coconut water.

I hear time and time again about doctors telling women that their babies are TOO BIG! The medical term for a baby that is too big is macrosomia. People may also use the term CPD or cephalopelvic disproportion meaning that the baby’s head is to big to fit through the pelvis. True CPD is rare in modern society unless the mother has had some form of pelvic fracture in the past or there is a genetic abnormality. However, either way you look at it, the baby is considered too large to come through vaginally. The way a mother chooses to eat during her pregnancy will largely coincide on how big her baby will grow. A diet high in sugars and carbohydrates will produce a bigger baby. A diet with a large variety of vegetables and protein will produce a baby who is more healthy and vigorous and will fare better during labor, delivery, and post partum.

Diet also plays an important role in preventing many of the “common” ailments of pregnancy such as high blood pressure, pre-eclampsia, and gestational diabetes. These are all serious issues and quickly can move a low risk mother into the high risk category where other interventions may be introduced, such as insulin, early inductions, and cesarean section. After the birth, baby may have to spend more time away from the mother due to monitoring baby’s blood sugars, bilirubin numbers, or just a general “watch”. In my years, I have seen the hardest thing for a new mother is not the unplanned induction or even cesarean section, it is being away from her newborn that she has been dreaming about for 9 months for an unknown amount of time.

This whole eating for two thing does carry some weight (no pun intended). Just by making conscience food choices a woman can drastically reduce the chances of a “high risk” pregnancy, keeping her body and her baby strong and healthy. Food is Medicine!

]]>https://hanaupono.com/2013/12/02/eating-for-two/feed/0jmeleelewishigh-protein-foodsprotein rich foodsLani Kai Lovetop-10-foods-with-ironcalcium rawlivingfoods.tumblr.comProdromal Laborhttps://hanaupono.com/2013/12/02/prodromal-labor/
https://hanaupono.com/2013/12/02/prodromal-labor/#commentsMon, 02 Dec 2013 08:55:55 +0000http://hanaupono.com/?p=457Continue reading →]]>I attended a nice little workshop several weeks ago. Alison Williams, a midwife from New Zealand, came to help a family member have an empowering birth experience and also chose to share some wisdom with those that were interested. As she spoke, I was reminded of the Friedman’s Curve article I posted awhile ago. Alison was speaking to a group of mostly young mothers or mothers to be and she spent a good amount of time discussing Prodromal labor, sometimes referred to as Pre-labor.

Prodromal labor is common. It is an important tool which helps the cervix soften, and sometimes even efface and dilate the cervix before true or active labor kicks in. It is also sends other signals. It means a woman is getting closer to delivery. It means she needs to be more attentive to her biological needs. She should be napping (because sleeping may become increasingly difficult), eating healthy, regular meals and snacks, and taking the opportunity to center with the sensations that are communicating with her body. When a woman begins to have surges here and there, she should be taking deep slow breaths and welcoming them. She can allow herself to get excited, but to also hold back a bit…it may be pre-labor!

Prodromal labor can start at the end of a long day, or in the freezer isle of the grocery store. It’s unpredictable and can come and go at any time in the last weeks of a pregnancy. Sometimes it lasts a few hours, off and on for days, or even weeks! Often the contractions have some quality to them, meaning there is something different about them than the simple tightening and releasing of braxton hicks contractions, and may even come at pretty regular intervals. That is why its important not to PUSH pre-labor, though it is good to maintain low impact activity. Finding a place to swim, a shady path to stroll, a hill to hike, dancing and keeping loose hips, savoring those last few pregnancy yoga classes all help pre-labor remain tolerable. Also, staying hydrated will reduce the frequency of braxton hicks contractions.

Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between pre-labor and true/active labor, especially if it is the first labor the woman has ever experienced. If a mother is unsure if she is having pre-labor, changing activity can often slow or even stop the surges.

The main cause of prodromal labor is hormones. A woman’s body ripens and the uterus contracts as it prepares for delivery due to the release of hormones from the placenta, the mother, and the baby. If there is a malpresentation (such as OP – sunny side up, asynclitic, or breech), the body may pre-labor off and on for a few weeks as it tries to coerce the baby into better alignment. There are other possible reasons for long bouts of pre-labor which is why practitioners like to check in with mothers and babies weekly, to ensure the health and wellness of the pair.

My journey to becoming a midwife started in January of 2010. I just started it… I knew there was no path for certification here on Oahu, but I started it anyways. I was fortunate enough to land (really sort of create) a position with the ladies of Sacred Healing Arts, where Dr. Lori Kimata and Dr. Madeleine Portuondo practice as midwives under their Naturopathic Physician’s license. My training was preparing me to be a direct entry midwife however, unless I were to leave the island to have a “proper” preceptor (recognized by MEAC and NARM), I could not become a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM). Good or bad, in the state of Hawaii, there is no regulation on home birth, or the people who attend these births, and therefore licensing as a CPM or a Licensed Midwife (LM) is unrecognized and unless a student was to leave the island…unobtainable. But, did that stop me? Absolutely not!!!

I continued to attend births as an apprentice and a doula. I held space for families and gave myself fully to the cause. I LOVE this work and the more I do it, the more I love it. It’s kind of like when you look at your child and wonder, “How could I possibly love you more?” And then you roll over the next morning to that sweet little sleeping face and BAM!!! You fall helplessly, more deeply in love. That sort of describes the feeling I get. And so, I continued on. Fast and slow births, easy or difficult pregnancies, miraculous recoveries, triumphant moments, transports, and moments of total surrender to the universe… My only direction was YES and I knew that something would open up for me. I would get an opportunity to certify…somehow.

And then it did! A wonderful woman by the name of Selena Green moved to Oahu in 2012. She is the founder of Sacred Birth Place, a free standing birth center in Oakland California. Here she helped families have rewarding pregnancy and birth experiences while giving apprentice midwives an opportunity to train and certify as a CPM. Recognizing the need for such a place on Oahu, she relocated and opened Hale Kealaula in Waianae.

Hale Kealaula has been open for over a year now. Selena works with some of Oahu’s finest and most passionate birth workers. I am honored and full of gratitude to be able to announce that I, too have teamed up with these ladies in order to pursue my desire to become a CPM. I am beyond thrilled to be able to share the adventure with this group of women. My path has been so clear and it is now more brightly lit. I am so thankful for all who have brought me here to this day, and for those in the future who will to allow me to assist, and learn, and be a part of the sacred circle of LIFE!!!

For those of you who know me already, I want to reassure you that I am continuing to work side by side with Dr. Kimata and Dr. Portuondo at Sacred Healing Arts. My doula work and assisting families in hospital births are still within my scope of practice! In addition, I am always happy to assist with my knowledge as a lactation counselor! Working with Selena and the women of Hale Kaelaula is another way I am able to better myself for the families I serve. I am balancing it all quite nicely and am in total awe of how well things are coming together…

I am full of LOVE!

]]>https://hanaupono.com/2013/09/23/exciting-news/feed/0jmeleelewisThe banner photo for Hanau Ponohttps://hanaupono.com/2013/09/22/the-banner-photo-for-hanau-pono/
https://hanaupono.com/2013/09/22/the-banner-photo-for-hanau-pono/#respondSun, 22 Sep 2013 10:30:56 +0000http://hanaupono.com/?p=340Continue reading →]]>I heard that Birth Without Fear got a hold of this lovely belly photo I took of my two doula clients…haven’t seen it myself, but delighted to hear the good news! Both of these babies have made their arrival earth side. Very different births with the same outcome…OVERJOYED!

This article describes many reasons for why a baby might be crying when put to the breast. I often discuss possibilities with mammas throughout their nursing adventures. If you have questions about your nursing baby, send me an email or give me a call! It is my goal to assist moms and babes to have a positive, long lasting, nursing experience!

]]>https://hanaupono.com/2013/09/22/breastfeeding-the-crying-babe/feed/0jmeleelewisThis one’s for all you pregnant mammas out there who feel like you should be doing more with your time…https://hanaupono.com/2013/09/08/this-ones-for-all-you-mammas-out-there-who-feel-like-you-should-be-doing-more-with-your-time/
https://hanaupono.com/2013/09/08/this-ones-for-all-you-mammas-out-there-who-feel-like-you-should-be-doing-more-with-your-time/#commentsSun, 08 Sep 2013 16:11:38 +0000http://hanaupono.com/?p=314Continue reading →]]>I have mourned lost days

This is a “funny because its true” opinion about breast feeding in public…from a man, which matters. Why does it matter that a man wrote it? Because women need to be supported in breast feeding their children. Hey dudes, don’t you want the best for your kids and your partner? Of course you do! Breastfeeding is not just a women’s issue, its a FAMILY issue. Moms… Nurse that baby whenever and wherever your baby is hungry. There’s no shame in providing the best possible nutrition, closeness, and biologically correct situation for you and your infant! Dads, support those nursing moms by helping to “normalize” breast feeding…the way it was intended to be.

This is a very informative article and has lots of current statistics for the “average” labor and delivery in a hospital setting. I have been reading more and more articles about when “true/active labor” begins. The most recent article I read said that there is strong consideration to change that number from 3 or 4cm dilated to 6cm dilated, especially for first time mothers (the attached article touches on this, too). That is a BIG difference and honestly, from the mothers I have labored with, this is at least 50% true. Whether early labor is 2 hours or 2 days, it seems the fastest progress (in MANY scenarios) happens once a woman is at least 6cm. Sadly, in todays OB world, many women are not provided with the correct or current information about how their labor may begin or how long it may really take to get through that first phase. It is not uncommon for a woman to have prodromal labor, meaning she will have irregular contractions (some strong and far apart, some mild and close, resulting in little to no dilation) for a few days leading up to her delivery. Preparing a woman for that possibility and teaching her how to care for herself during that time is paramount if she does not want a C-Section.

Since this is the paradigm most OBs and hospitals are operating in, I feel this is where an experienced birth doula is so very helpful. OBs do not have time to educate their mothers and many childbirth education courses offered through our hospital system are geared towards an expectation of epidural, or other pain relief, as well as post-surgical recovery. This is not ideal for the woman who wants to have a natural birth. Doulas can help fill the holes in a family’s childbirth education, either during prenatal visits, or along the way to meeting the baby. They can help a woman labor at home before heading to the confinements of a hospital room and the distraction of the many rotating faces. Once there, they can keep the commotion to a minimum so the mother may focus on meeting her child.

I also believe that a doula can be very helpful in a home birth setting. If a woman has a longer labor, the midwife is able to rest more, allowing her to have a more clear mind during the last stages of labor and delivery. The doula can help keep the mother fed, hydrated, napped, and generally more prepared to endure active labor and the pushing phase when it finally crescendos into that mind blowing stage!

So…read up! Be informed! Get ready for the most life changing journey you will ever embark on! Be prepared for that journey to be long and be pleasantly surprised when it is short!

]]>https://hanaupono.com/2013/09/02/friedmans-curve-is-failing-our-mothers/feed/0jmeleelewisOne Hundred and Two!https://hanaupono.com/2013/08/28/one-hundred-and-two/
https://hanaupono.com/2013/08/28/one-hundred-and-two/#commentsWed, 28 Aug 2013 08:36:37 +0000http://jmeleelewis.wordpress.com/?p=92Continue reading →]]>I was going to write this when I had finally helped 100 families grow…but 14 hours later the one hundred and first baby arrived! So I was going to do it that night, but I decided I should sleep (I still had 4 more due within the next two weeks). That was a good plan because the next day I met baby number 102! Three babies in three days! 102 families have allowed me to be present in the most unforgettable times of their lives! Unbelievable!!!?!

In refection of all of this, I am humbled, excited, and amazed. 102 real live people out there, growing, learning, causing mischief, making people smile!!! My emotions and thoughts about this “monumental” point in my birth experiences are as varied as the story that each birth carries with it. I’m feeling knowledgable and at the same time realizing that this work is a lifetime of learning and there is no way to EVER know it all.

There is one thing I DO know, however and it is that I am supposed to do this work. This past weekend was FULL to say the least. In between births, I sat with newborns and their mothers, assisting with nursing, pointing out cues, and reassuring parents that they are gonna be ok. I love holding tiny, soft, feathery heads and watching little smirks creep across teeny lips. Its fun to revel in the amazingness of each woman’s body, watch partners dance and cuddle and fall in love…And then there is the RAW beauty of birth! The sweat and the moaning. The clenched teeth and swaying of the hips. Watching the tension release from a mamma’s forehead with a gentle sweep of the fingertip. Is all so fascinating…EACH TIME!

And so I put my gratitude out there to all those families I have been blessed to help with! Thank you for allowing me into your most sacred of spaces! Thank you for trusting yourself and for trusting in “the unknown”, through all it’s twists and turns. Thank you to each and every one hundred and two! May there be many more!